Time and again kids tell us that equipment is boring and that they want to play outdoors like we did.

On mountains, slides, rock climbs, gardens, sand pits, orchards, climbing walls, streams, caves, labyrinths, and other natural features that help children discover and learn about nature while they play.

For 22 years we've been the leading experts in designing and building this country's most beautiful, intriguing, cost-effective, and philosophically appropriate Natural Playgrounds for K-12 schools, Montessori schools, Head Start programs, childcare centers, and communities.

If you've ever climbed trees, made forts, climbed rocks, made mud pies, dammed up water, dug in sand, jumped in leaves, or had fun outside in other, similar ways, you've experienced natural play.

All 6,000 children we've interviewed want these very same, natural play opportunities. Offer them a choice, and every time they'll choose Natural Playgrounds over equipment playgrounds (see "a child's perspective").

This is very interesting, because the research says: Natural Play contributes to the overall physical, cognitive, and emotional development of children, helps them score higher on tests for concentration and self-discipline, helps them experience more diverse play, and helps them exhibit less aggressive behavior, strive toward advanced motor fitness, and become healthier.

So -- children actually prefer playing in environments that improve their overall well-being, intelligence, and safety!

Natural Playgrounds offer financial benefits, as well. They're less expensive than equipment, they aren't replaced when safety regulations change, they lower playground injuries (which cost the US over $13 billion every year), they offer higher play value at lower cost, they're part of the greening movement that reduces costly environmental impacts while improving wildlife habitats and beautifying surroundings, and because they use indigenous plants and local materials, they have a very low carbon footprint!

And --- they're perfect outdoor classrooms!

No wonder there's a worldwide movement to "leave no child inside."
At The Natural Playgrounds Company®, our mission is to ensure that children have wonderful places to go outside where they can both play and learn.

But it all starts with you taking a deep breath and deciding that it's time to make a change, and then calling us on our toll-free line 888-290-8405, or e-mailing us using the form to the left.

If you want to create a natural playground and learning environment that

We're the experts and we're here to help.

We'd love to work with you on yours.

Please contact The Natural Playgrounds Company® to discuss your thoughts and plans. We welcome your inquiries and will get back in touch with you promptly.Thank you for spending some time with us today.

(Don't forget to check out our online store of natural play elements!Click HERE to go there now!)

WOODSTOCKELEMENTARY SCHOOL WINSVERMONT PUBLICPLACES AWARDThe children at this school had an old, tired set of wooden playground equipment that was long past its prime, together with a huge paved area that caused massive water, ice, and runoff problems. Basically, the kids had little to do and ...

BOZEMAN, MTMONTESSORI SCHOOLTypical of the Bozeman, MT area, this Montessori school with children from kindergarten through elementary school ages was built on flat land and surrounded by residential communities.As you can see from the attached photos, there has been a dramatic change...